{
  "id": 16403775,
  "title": "Flu Game! Volkanovski Fought Sick At UFC 333, Refused To Take Meds",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/25/flu-game-volkanovski-fought-sick-at-ufc-333-refused-to-take-meds",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-25T01:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/flu-game-volkanovski-fought-sick-010000046.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Abu Dhabi, UAE - October 24: Alexander Volkanovski of Australia, a featherweight champion, defended his title against Movsar Evloev during UFC 333 at Etihad Arena. Despite appearing in top form, Volkanovski was actually battling a flu during the fight. Fans noticed his sick voice during weigh-ins, but continued to support him. After the fight, his training partner Craig Jones revealed that Volkanovski was indeed sick with the flu. Volkanovski, however, refused to take medication to maintain an unfair sporting advantage. He stated, \"It’s all good, it’s a part of the game. I started getting sick, I was like ‘it would’ve been too easy if I wasn’t sick.’ No matter what hurdles are in front of me, this sh*t excites me.\"",
  "summary": "Alexander Volkanovski looked to be in prime form Saturday afternoon for his successful UFC featherweight title defense against Movsar Evloev at UFC 333, but “The Great” actually had to fight through flu symptoms to compete. Fight fans knew something may have been wrong with Volkanovski after the 38-year-old’s voice sounded sick during Friday’s early morning […]",
  "key_points": [
    "Australian featherweight champion Volkanovski fought with flu during UFC 333.",
    "Fans noticed his sick voice during weigh-ins.",
    "Volkanovski refused medication to maintain sporting advantage."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Prioritizing raw competition over medical assistance underscores a champion's commitment to pure sporting integrity by choosing to face physical adversity without any pharmacological advantages.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}